City wins prestigious E.A. Danby Award

City's Parks, Forestry and Horticulture Operations team recognized for innovative approach to asset management

Municipalinfonet.com
June 30, 2022

Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua issued the following statement after a ceremonial presentation during the June 28 Council meeting:

"I am pleased to announce the City of Vaughan has received the E.A. Danby Award -- Certificate of Merit for the reinvention of the forestry work order dispatching system through mapping innovations. This award is administered through the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario, an organization representing and promoting excellence in local government management and leadership. Each year, the E.A. Danby Award is given to municipalities that apply innovative techniques to produce tangible results with positive outcomes.

"The City takes pride in being innovative and forward-thinking. This award further demonstrates staff's commitment to delivering Service Excellence and reinforces our mission to put citizens first in everything we do. Every day in every way, Vaughan's dedicated Parks, Forestry and Horticulture Operations professionals work tirelessly to ensure our city runs smoothly and safely. The team continuously strives to implement new and innovative technologies that improve the delivery of critical services while maximizing the value of taxpayers' hard-earned dollars.

"The City manages approximately 130,000 street trees and receives several thousand maintenance requests annually. As a result, staff recognized an opportunity for service improvement. They leveraged business intelligence software to enhance service delivery and learned that cases could be mapped to improve work order dispatching. The results of their hard work include reduced wait times and a 23 per cent increase in operational productivity for natural asset management.

"I want to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the Parks, Forestry, and Horticulture Operations department for their commitment to Service Excellence. Again, thank you for your contributions to city-building, and congratulations on this outstanding achievement."